I’m a Crowded House Groupie!
Current mood: exhausted
Category: Music
[ See higher quality photos in my MySpace photos ]
Crowded House is a band I have always wanted to see, but they broke up years ago and I thought I'd never have a chance. They regrouped and just put out a new album and I've got tickets to two shows!
Tonight was the Crowded House show at Frederick Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, which happens to be my hometown. I got there early and planted myself squarely in the front row center. Let me just skip to the end and tell you that I met the band after the show and it was freakin' phenomenal.
Me, Neil Finn (Crowded House's singer/songwriter), Kari (my sister)
At 6:30 Liam Finn came on stage. Liam is Neil Finn's son... Neil Finn being the singer of Crowded House. My sister and I saw Neil Finn in 2000 in Chicago and Liam played and he was all of 16 then. He's grown up and man, is he talented. He rocked the house. He had some contraption on the floor where he could record for a bit and loop it so, playing alone, he could sound like a full band. He only did 3 songs, but it was great. He's putting out an album in January he said. Yeah, we talked to him after the show, too. He's really a talent. His voice sounds a lot like Neil's and his sound is different from anything that I've heard out there laterly. Liam's MySpace
Liam Finn
Next up, 16 Frames played. They're a rock/pop outfit from L.A. and they were really good. I'll have to pick up their album when it's available. Yeah, no album. Unbelievable! They haven't even released an album yet they're opening for Crowded House. How does that happen? They are really good though, so they did deserve to play with CH. I hear some CH influence in there. 16 Frames MySpace
16 Frames
Finally, Crowded House came on stage. Since you probably don't know any of their songs except for Don't Dream it's Over and Something So Strong, I'll just tell you that they played phenomenally and you should pick up their full catalog. They are by no means one hit wonders, as some people around here seem to think, just because they didn't have as much commercial success in America.. They've had dozens of big hits elsewhere in the world and everyone of their albums are completely awesome. Seriously, I can listen to them over and over and it never gets stale like my old Thompson Twins CD tends to.
The set had a backdrop of newspaper clippings torn and put together. It's all from a New Zealand (or was it Australian?) newspaper and the story about an Australian guy at Guantanamo. We talked to Nick Seymour, the bass player and designer of the cover of the CD after the show and he explained the significance of the art. More on that later.
They started the show with World Where you Live, which is an oldie from their first album. Neil's voice sounded amazing and all of the members are such strong musicians that they just rocked the house from the beginning. One weird thing was that the show was outdoors in a botanical/sculpture garden (as seen in the photo above) and the crowd was super mellow. Everyone sat and no one got up and danced until the first encore.
Anyway, next up, Recurring Dream, then English Trees from their newest album - very appropriate since we were in a garden. Neil mentioned that the song was not about trees at all, so I wonder what it's about? Hmmmm....
Nick Seymour on Bass
Heaven That I'm Making, from the new album was next. The band harmonizes so well and Mark Hart (guitar) and Liam did some great backup vocals for the band.
Mark Hart getting the hair out of his eyes
There Goes God was next. This song has very funny lyrics "Hey don't look now, but there goes God, in his sexy pants and his sausage dog, and he can't stand Beelzebub, because he looks so good in black." Brilliant.
Say That Again from their new album was next on their set list. The song has a great bassline and a smooth chorus.
Neil with the red guitar
One thing that was interesting about the show was that right behind me was a walkway and people kept walking by. Neil and Nick joked about how they should do a little dance when they walk by and several people did. Some little girl really got into it. It was quite amusing.
Don't Stop Now is the first single from the band and the video is awesome. All you video people out there - check it out. Click the link. Just do it! This song has hit written all over it. Neil's voice is just so smooth and the writing is just so good.
Neil switched guitars during pretty much every song. They had quite a bit of banter between songs which I think really made the show a lot of fun. Nick commented on how people brought in picnics and were drinking chardonnay... or pinot grigio... or a fume blanc.... very funny guy.
Nick cracking wine jokes.
Fingers of Love - Neil said this song was about wide open spaces. I never knew that. This song just gets rockin so hard after the first verse and especially at Neil's guitar solo. The lyrics are just amazing. Neil Finn can craft a pop tune.
Why is this band not the number one band in America? Who is? Oh, sorry, Fergie has the top album. Now, there is some talent.
Silent House is my favorite tune from their new album. The lyrics to me, seem like they're about a parent that has alzheimers or dimentia. The song was written with Natalie Maines from the Dixie Chicks. Another great chorus. Such a well crafted song. The link for Silent House is a really good quality video from Cochella and highly recommended.
Transit Lounge is one of their quirkier songs and starts out with a sample of some German chick. This is my second favorite tune from the new album. The whole album is so good. Go buy it! There is an etherial voice in the backing vocals sang by a woman on the album, but Liam sang it perfectly live.
Italian Plastic was dedicated to Paul Hester, former drummer who took his life a couple of years ago. He wrote the song. It's such a happy tune. How could someone who wrote such a beautiful, light-hearted song like this... never mind. Paul, you're missed.
Mark Hart on some interesting instrument.
People are Like Suns, the final track from their latest album, sounded so rich and textured.
Distant Sun from their 1993 Together Alone album is one of my favorite CH tunes and it did not disappoint. The melody of the guitars is brilliant and it's yet again another pop song with superbly written lyrics. Verse 2 just helps me get through a day.
Neil on keys
When You Come, from Temple of Low Men, totally kicked in during the first chorus and rocked! Some awesome lyrics "She came out of the water and into my horizon, like a cumulonimbus coming in from a distance."
After that they left the stage for about 3 minutes and came back with Something So Strong. It ended with a sing along, as did Fall at Your Feet. I was really glad to hear that so many people knew the words considering Fall at Your Feet wasn't exactly a huge hit in America, even though it fully deserved to be. It's a gorgeous song and sounded just extraordinary.
Another "Thank you, Good Night!". Stage Left. Back 2 minutes later with Better Be Home Soon, from Temple of Low Men. They rocked a bit more than the original track and it was excellent, as you probably surmised.
Weather With You, another oldie from their Woodface album (my favorite CH album, by the way), was light-hearted and had full of nice harmonizing. Amazing guitar work by Neil and Mark, too.
Neil finn
The ended the show, aptly, with the song we all know and love, Don't Dream it's Over. A warm fuzzy feeling was flowing through the audience and everyone was singing along. Of course, I couldn't see them because I was in the front row... have I mentioned that? It's interesting how Neil shortens the "Us" in "Wall between us" at the end of the chorus. They sounded so great. I can't believe it's over.
So after the show we met this guy and started chatting. It turns out that he's my friend Alicia's neighbor and he said to me "Oh, you're the one going to see them in Milwaukee, right?" Is that weird or what. Anyway, this guy is a drummer and knows a lot of bands. We walked with him to where the tour busses were parked and met the band!
First we talked with Nick Seymour, one of the nicest people I've ever met in my life. Seriously. We had a nice conversation and he was really down to earth and so nice. He did the illustrations on the cover of the album and we chatted about the artwork on the stage and the album art. He signed my cd and we snapped a few photos.
Then we met Matt Sherrod, the newest band member. He is from L.A. and also very nice and personable. I'm so impressed with how personable these guys are. I mean, they have groupie fans like me bugging them and they were just entirely friendly.
Me, Nick Seymour, Kari (my sister), and Matt Sherrod
Mark Hart used my camera to snap a pic, but unfortunately I didn't get to meet him. He seems a bit shy, but maybe he just wanted to get into the bus and relax.
Us again with the guy who knew the drummer
Finally, we got to meet Neil Finn! He was pretty tired, it was obvious. They have a seriously grueling tour schedule. He also signed my cd and snapped a photo with us before getting back into the bus. (The picture's at the top of the page)
Lastly, we chatted with Liam Finn, Neil's son. He told us about his album coming out in January and that they were supposed to have them at the t-shirt sales stand but they didn't arrive. It's going to be seriously good.
Sadly, it's over and it does seem like a dream, but at least I'll get to see them again in less than 48 hours!
I am officially a groupie.
Currently
listening
:
Together Alone
By
Crowded House
Release date: 18 October, 1993
Lollapalooza 2007 - I ain’t that old yet!
Current mood: creative
I'm a hardcore music fan and I always have been. I love the Indie rock. This was my 7th Lollapalooza and it was almost as good as the first! Lollapalooza is a music festival that started out in the early 90s, traveling around the country with hot bands of the time. It's the brainchild of Perry Farrell, best known for his band Jane's Addiction. It went on for about 6 years and then stopped. It was brought back in 2005 as a 2 day concert in Grant Park, Chicago. In 2006, it spread the entire length of Grant Park (its got to be a 3/4 mile across) and became 3 days of rock 'n roll bliss.
My sister Kari (left) and me (right) in front of Buckingham Fountain at Lollapalooza. Those are $7 Bud Lights.
Friday - Aug 3
I left my home in Michigan about 8:30 am. I had my iPod loaded and ready to go with my Lollapalooza mix, a bag of a dried fruit mix and a thermos of coffee. I got to the show around 1pm and regretted eating all of that dried fruit. The Fratellis played earlier, but unfortunately, I missed them. I did catch the middle of Chin Up Chin Up, before heading over to see Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. Ted Leo used to be kind of a punk but he's mellowed out. He can turn a great lyric. They sounded great.
It's so funny to see these kids in their "Corporate Rock Sucks" t-shirts, spending $7 for a Bud Light at a concert sponsored by AT&T and Citi, among other. I digress.... Chicago was damn hot and humid. It had to be 88° and 75% humidity.
Polyphonic Spree, all 30 people in the band, came out in head to toe black, with long sleeves, looking like some sort of Eastern European military. Polyphonic Spree is the happiest band to ever live, it seems. The show was high energy and they sounded jubilant. They have a harpist, horns, guitars, keys, some electronic oboe like thing and an entire chorus. It was really entertaining, but the Chicago heat was oppressive. Too bad. I would love to see Polyphonic Spree again, in less hot circumstances. Listen: Running Away from Polyphonic Spree
Next up, Against Me! I hadn't heard this band until Jason Sharp from Toolfarm sent me a track. I really dig them. I'm a girl who likes to rock and Against Me! sounds like they're channeling The Clash, one of my all-time favorite bands. The audience, of course, was mainly sweaty guys pounding fists into the air. They rocked hard but they really weren't all that exciting to watch on stage. Of course, it was about 95° outside, so I can't say I blame them for keeping it low key. Listen: White People for Peace (Butch Vig remix)
M.I.A. didn't let the heat bother her. M.I.A. is a rapper/singer from Sri Lanka via London. I encourage you to read M.I.A.'s Wikipedia entry, even if you don't like her music. It's nuts. She had a tough life, with a father who was a head guy in a militant Tamil group in Sri Lanka. Anyway, her show was high energy and very loud! Her voice went out towards the end of the set and she used some sort of throat spray that she said Jack White FedEx'd to her the night before. Yeah, sure, M.I.A...throat spray.
M.I.A.'s music is a mix of hip-hop, rap and dance music with some sounds of Africa and Jamaica. It's definitely interesting, but I still can't decide whether I like it or not. She's a great entertainer and looks good in sequined short shorts, something I'd certainly have a hard time pulling off. She had her backup singer bounded all over the stage, dancing and rapping. It did seem like the sound guy was a little heavy on the volume. It sounded a bit crunchy and rattly to me. Maybe my ears were starting to ring by that point, I don't know.
The Rapture are a band that I really like until the singers voice gets to me. You've probably heard the songWooh! Alright! Yeah! and not known who it was, with the line "People don't dance no more, they just stand there like this." If you don't know what I'm talking about by now, you don't know the song, trust me. Get Myself Into It and Olio are better songs and they did play all three. I had no idea that the Rapture had two lead singers... both whiny. Anyway, this band is not a band to see outside on a bright sunny day. This is a band you want to see in a smoky bar with lots of strobe lights. The sunlight and heat (did I mention it was at least 98°?) did the band a big disservice, not to mention these annoying kids in front of me who screamed the words to every song at each other for the entire show. Yeah, you know the words. Great. Haha, maybe I am getting old. I used to be that kid screaming the words at concerts.
I caught the end of the Blonde Redhead show and they sounded terrific, too. After that I left the show to go meet some friends. I'm wishing I would've stayed to catch Daft Punk. I heard about 10 people say how great the show was. Also, I wish I would've watched Satellite Party, Perry Farrell's band. I heard them as I was walking down Columbus Ave. back to my friends place. They played "Stop!" from Jane's Addicition and a couple of other tracks. I picked up the Satellite Party CD after Lolla and I'm LOVING it. It's brilliant. Listen to Wish Upon a Dog Star from Satellite Party.
Saturday, August 4
I wanted to catch Tokyo Police Club on Saturday morning but missed them. My sister sister came in on the train and I went to the station to pick her up. Tokyo Police Club's Be Good is in my heavy rotation on my iTunes.
We did catch the tail end of Tapes 'n Tapes and they were okay. I didn't get to hear Cowbell, which is a great song.
Silverchair was next up. I'm not really a fan, but my sister is, and in the end, I was blown away by their performance. I remember them as teenagers back in the early 90s doing grunge. Their sound has matured over the years, as has the band members. The singer, Daniel Johns... meow... is a totally sexy bad boy. He went shirtless for most of the show and has his nipples pierced and a pornstache. The band rocked really hard and Daniel is a flamboyant frontman, writhing around the stage on his back while playing guitar and even playing with his teeth. Very entertaining show. Since Lolla, I picked up their latest CD and it's great. Check out their Reflections of a Sound video. It's an innovative video and it's going on Toolfarm's Inspirations page as soon as I finish this review.
My sister had to leave for a while, so I camped out midway between two stages and took a nap while listening to the Cold War Kids and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. This Lollapalooza was the convergence of the whiny singer I swear. I dunno. Maybe their shows were great and I wasn't close enough to enjoy them.
CSS, a Brazilian electronic band made up of mostly women, was a group that I was really excited to see and they cancelled!
My sister came back and we went to see Snow Patrol, a band that most of you know from their hit Chasing Cars. They weren't all that exciting to watch on stage but they sounded sublime. Gary Lightbody, the singer, sounded perfect. The whole show sounded exactly like listening to the CD, except with the crowd singing along to Chasing Cars and my favorite tune Run with it's resolute chorus "Light up light up, as if you had a choice". Sends chills down my spine.
Snow Patrol is a band that is going to have a big future. I, maybe unfairly, lump them in with the likes of Coldplay, but they have that radio friendly sound. Don't get me wrong, I love the band. It's great to chill out too and the song Run can give you shivers as you wake up at 4am, bleary eyed on the couch, to their video on MTV. It's not as rockin' as I like for a live show. That said, I did see Air Supply in concert once and Snow Patrol rocks harder than Air Supply.
English band Muse was the headliner for the night and they were LOUD! Seriously, I'm still half deaf from the show. Because of them, I bought earplugs. Muse sounded incredible and they had an impressive light and video show. They did take quite a while between songs, at least a minute most of the time, but they have a forceful wall of noise that's thick with bass and jangling guitars. That comment about whining singers... it applies to Muse too, but they won me over. They put on a tremendous live show and they played all of the great songs I wanted to hear: Starlight, Time is Running Out and Super Massive Blackhole. Let the Radiohead comparisons begin.
Watch Stockholm Syndrome recorded at the show, probably on someone's phone, but it will give you an idea of the video and light spectacular.
Sunday, Aug 5
We got to the show late (again), this time due to a very slow restaurant serving lox and eggs. I missed the Cribs, which I'm very sad about because I had them double circled on my schedule. Men's Needs is one of my current favorite songs.
I got to the park just in time for the beginning of Rodrigo y Gabriela, a duo from Mexico, by way of Dublin. They play flemenco guitar mixed with inspirations of Black Sabbath. Yeah, a strange combination, but they're so good. If I had one of those lasers that could pick up the temperature, their guitar strings had to read about 800°. Their fingers played about 500 miles per hour while using the guitars and their hands and feet as their percussion. I can't imagine the callouses on their finger tips. As amazing of musicians as they are, I think they'd be better to see in a small club instead of a huge festival. Watch Stairway to Heaven
Amy Winehouse is the one act my sister and I were both dying to see. We were praying that she wouldn't cancel the show. You know the song Rehab? Well, she doesn't sing that song for no reason. I've been following the news about her downward spiral of exhaustion and cancelled shows. Well, she played! She sounded amazing. Her voice is so strong and soulful. Her hair is an enormous bouffant and her legs are as big around as beer can. She looked like she could topple over. She didn't seem to be putting a lot of effort into her performance. She stood there on stage, barely swaying her hips, completely expressionless for the duration of the show. The backup singers/dancers, though, they were kinetic, playing off of each other in what looked like a totally improvised dance routine. They were so much fun to watch. It's too bad Amy's performance wasn't more peppy.
We caught a bit of Blue October and were unimpressed. It was 105° outside and the singer was dressed for a crisp fall day, which I guess if you want to suffer for fashion, that's your business. The only song I have heard by this band is Hate Me, which has that "angst ridden emo boys with eyeliner" sound. Meh.
I watched a bit of Iggy Pop. Pretty much what I expected. I wanted to catch !!! (which is pronounced Chk Chk Chk) at the MySpace stage and that show overlapped with Iggy. It was a good decision. !!! was one of the best shows I saw all weekend. You know the dance scene at the end of Napoleon Dynamite? The singer totally channels Napoleon Dynamite. He's full of energy and it was a fun, fun show. The band is sort of a dance funk alternative rock band and I think they must enjoy hallucinagenics. They played Pardon my Freedom (actual performance video from Lolla - very entertaining) early on and it totally got the crowd going.
Modest Mouse was next up... another band I was very excited to see. Float On had the crowd singing. I was starting to really get annoyed with the kids pushing through the crowd by this point. Big sweaty hairy guys should leave their shirts on too. Come on, a little etiquette please! Modest Mouse sounded really good, but we left the show about a half hour early to get good spots for Pearl Jam.
We ended up sitting quite a ways back for Pearl Jam but we had a good view of the screens, and we were both sick of kids pushing by us. This ended up being a wise decision. Pearl Jam played all of the hits except Jeremy. I have to admit, I'm not much of a Pearl Jam fan. I have their Ten album (who doesn't) but haven't had it out in probably 10 years. I did see them at Lollapalooza in 1994 or so and they were great. This time, they were even better. Eddie Vedder's voice was strong and sounded amazing. The band totally rocked and turned every song into a 9 minute jam.
Eddie did a great rant on Don't Go BP Amoco who are planning to pollute our precious lake.
They had a Iraqi vet in a wheelchair come out and told his story. He's in a documentary about ending the war. Just then, Ben Harper walks out on stage and they do a duet called "No More War", which was awesome.
They ended the show with "Keep on Rockin in the Free World". Eddie passed his bottle of wine around the crowd and then hoards of people came out on stage. Dennis Rodman comes out and carries Eddie on his shoulders and Juliette Lewis also came out on stage. It was absolutely one of the best shows I've ever seen. No, it doesn't get "Eddie Vedder" than this.
I am still recovering from the weekend, but reliving my twenties every once in a while is something I just have to do. I refuse to give in and get old. I'll be taking my daughter to rock shows when I'm into my fifties, as long as I can deal with those damn kids. Speaking of damn kids - lip piercings are not attractive, okay. Really they're not.
And... Grant Park.... beautiful Grant Park... completely trashed. They're going to need a lot of sod to fix that one.
Three New Plugged-In Podcasts available, recorded live at NAB!
Current mood: geeky
Category: Podcast
Keith and Alan recorded the podcast live at NAB.... and it's a HUGE Triliogy of HOT shows!
Podcast 2 recorded at the Toolfarm Party on Sunday night at the MGM Grand
Exclusive interviews with the tops in the industry including Paul Babb, President of Maxon (Cinema 4D), Zax Dow of Zaxwerks, Christoph Vonhreim of CHV-Electronics, Debbie Rich of Digital Anarchy, John Dickinson of Motionworks, Niclas Bahn of Noise Industries, and Jason Sharp, President of Toolfarm. Add to iTunes or Play Now
Podcast 3: Live Interviews at the IMUG Media Motion Ball
Interviews Chris & Trish Meyer, Rob Birnholtz from Absolute Motion Graphics, Wes Plate of Automatic Duck, Frank Capria of Xprove, Brian Maffitt of Total Training. Add to iTunes or Play Now
Podcast 4: Interviews from The Promax Digital Cafe at the Empire Ball Room
Exclusive interviews with Carey Dissmore of IMUG, Phil Hodgetts of the Digital Production Buzz Podcast, Barbara Dehart of Telestream, Jason Levine Sr. Worldwide Evangelist of Adobe Systems, and Dan Hatch of ProMax. Add to iTunes or Play Now
There are two ways to listen to the podcasts in iTunes:
NAB Wrap-Up: The Show... Well, my show anyway....
Current mood: exhausted
Category: Travel and Places
Well, it was a long and wonderful week at NAB. I worked on the show floor at the Apple booth. I had a primo spot on the corner of the massive booth, right in the center of all the traffic. Look, I made Apple.com!. (Photo courtesy of Apple.com).
At the Apple booth, I demo'd FxPlug Plug-ins for Motion and Final Cut Pro. I was using a lot of beta plug-ins on Motion 3, which is in beta. Oh, boy.... Motion 3! Now this product is something to get excited about! I've always been an After Effects evangelist, but Motion 3 is going to give AE a run for it's money. I don't think it will replace AE by any means, but let's just say that there is a new kid in town who can play previews real-time, intuitive 3D, mind-blowing tracking and matching (using Shake technology) and has an incredible number of plug-ins that are out or coming out soon for it. I have to admit that I've never really given Motion the chance it deserves, but it ROCKS. I admit, I love it. I'm a convert.
I plan to review some of the plug-ins that I demo'd in the next week or so. I am completely impressed with CHV-Electronics plug-ins. They play real-time and are extremely versatile. A lot of the developers stopped by my station throughout the week. I saw a lot of Christoph Vonhreim, of CHV. He demo'd his plug-ins and really was able to show me the cool things that they can do. They do some mind-boggling effects... with real-time previews. These are probably my favorite FxPlug plug-ins. I had so much fun with them.
The Noise Industries FxFactory also impresses me. Noise Industries took the 2007 Videography Vidy Awards at NAB. Yes, they're that good. If you're using Motion or Final Cut Pro, YOU NEED BOTH CHV plug-ins and FxFactory. It takes a lot to impress me... really it does. I'll get some samples up soon. I highly recommend both plug-in developers products. They're inexpensive and fast!
I showed Trapcode FxPlug betas of Shine, Starglow and 3D Stroke and on a beta of Motion 3. They are basically the same plug-in as their AE counterpart. They are CPU accelerated, as opposed to GPU accelerated like most FxPlug plug-ins, so they were running about 8 frames per second for previews on the dual Intel processor I was running (it had 8gb ram and an ATI Radeon 1900 card). Not real-time but pretty fast. They brought lots of oohs and aahs.Trapcode 3D Stroke in FxPlug is a little different than the AE version. There are no paths in FCP, so they have a work around. There are a ton of preset shapes, plus, Sean Safreed from Red Giant told me that the trick is to save an SVG file (vector file) and drop it into the FxPlug folder. It will then show up in the drop down menu. I didn't try this, of course, because I didn't have Illustrator installed, but it sounded pretty straight forward. The Trapcode plug-ins will ship in a month, when Final Cut Studio Ships.
Zaxwerks 3D Flag was running real-time previews in Motion 3 and people were really impressed with it. I've made curtains and clothes hanging on a clothesline with it. It's also inexpensive and has a good track record, so it's a great tool for the old Final Cut Studio arsenal.
On Wednesday morning of the show, Boris Yaminsky of Boris FX comes up to me and was asking me about their Boris Continuum Complete 5.0 FxPlug plug-ins, which I didn't have on my machine. He comes back 10 minutes later with a drive and gives me a personal 20 minute demo of some of their plug-ins. They're really pretty fast and ran well in Motion 3. They were not quite realtime, but ran about 10-12 frames per second in previews. Not too shabby. They have a really nice keyer. I didn't have the full set, only about 20 of the 180 or so plug-ins that will be shipping, but what I saw was very cool stuff indeed.
I showed DV Matte Blast from DvGarage, which Toolfarm doesn't sell, unfortuately. It's very fast... real-time! However, it doesn't have a lot of the bells and whistles of a more robust keyer. It does what it does well, but if you're looking for something with a light wrap, matte choker and so on, the Boris Continuum Complete Keyer was a really nice keyer. It got in nice and tight around hair and fingers on moving footage.
Another plug-in I didn't have was ToonIt! from Digital Anarchy. Marco from DA came over to my booth and installed it and gave me a quick tour and It totally gives the look of those Charles Schwab commercials. It does run really slowly, but it analyzes pixel by pixel so it's doing a lot of work. Also, it's still in beta, as is Motion 3. The look is perfect. They've got that nailed. I was using the ToonIt! Roto plug-in on some Ducati footage from Apple and it was impressive to say the least. Slow, but impressive. If you've tried to create this look on your own, it's not an easy task. I think ToonIt! is going to do very well in the plug-in marketplace.
Also, Marco from DA gave me a behind the scenes look at the Quartz Compositor and programming that goes into Plasma FX. That was really interesting. I had no idea what goes into the programming of plug-ins. I also had DA Plasma FX on my box, but unfortunately there was an old build installed, not to mention a beta of Motion 3 and things were not working as well as I would've liked.
The CHV, Noise Industries plug-ins and Zaxwerks 3D Flag are available now. The Boris, Red Giant, Trapcode, and Digital Anarchy plug-ins are shipping in a month or so.
Final Cut Server also took a few awards - Television Broadcast Top Innovation Award, Television Broadcast Top Innovation Award and the DV Black Diamond Award. I was so surprised to find out how many people are migrating from their Avids and are going to get Final Cut Server in their post houses.
They didn't show Shake there and several people asked me if Shake was EOL. Word on the street is that in 2008 a new version of Shake is going to blow all of our minds. Hold tight on that one.
Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended also won a Television Broadcast Top Innovation Award and a 2007 Videography Vidy Award and Adobe Soundbooth CS3 took a DV Black Diamond Award. Unfortunately, I didn't get to check out much of the Adobe stuff. I was at the Apple booth for the entire show. I did manage to see an hour long demo of the new features in AE CS3 and saw some great new features. The vanishing point feature looks really swell. The Beta of AE CS3 is now available here.
No, I didn't see the RED Camera, but there was so much buzz surrounding it. Everybody wants some.
I'll get some photos of the show, the parties and the people I met up this week. Our Podcast guys, Keith and Alan, did a knockout job and got interviews with Chris and Trish Meyer, Brian Maffitt, and so many other well known people in our little industry. They did the interviews at parties in the evening so everyone is relaxed and having fun. Keith played the Chris and Trish Meyer interview at the airport and it's a hoot. That Trish really dished it to Alan. I expect them to be up by Monday, after we've all had a chance to recover. Keith and Alan and I all flew out at 1am on the red eye last night. Alan and I were actually on the same flight. Anyway, I am totally looking forward to these podcasts from NAB.
NAB 2007 is here!
Current mood: stressed
Category: Travel and Places
I fly out on Sunday and my schedule is deadly. It's going to be so much fun, but I wish I could spread it out over a couple of weeks. Kind of like getting married... you do the wedding, reception and leave for the honeymoon all in one day. We totally broke the rules on that one, with a Februray wedding and an April reception and a one month honeymoon, but doing it all in one day seems lunatic.
NAB will be a whirlwind like that. I'll be working the Apple Booth on Sunday, showing off the FxPlug Plugins, including:
- Noise Industries Fxfactory (which rock!) - Boris Continuum (awesome) - Zaxwerks 3d Flag (really great) - CHV (magic 3d, Filmstrip and tower of film) (cool stuff) - Trapcode Shine (classic, must have) - Red Giant Magic Bullet Colorista (Phenomenal plugin) - Red Giant Knoll Light factory (You need this!) - Digital Anarchy Plasma FX (groovy) - DV garage DV matte Blast (pretty decent keyer for DV footage, which is tough to key)
I'll be there all week demoing, so stop by and say hi if you'll be there. The apple booth - it's the biggest booth and in the south pavillion. You can't miss it.
In the evenings I have 1-3 parties each night. It's going to be crazy! I'm going to be so exhausted, but in a fun way.
And we'll be updating our podcasts all week so subscribe and listen! If you didn't catch the first one, I'm interviewed on it and I don't sound THAT dorky ;-) Okay, I kinda do, but please spare my feelings.
So, I'll be away next week and I probably won't have much access to the web, or much time for that matter, so au revoir, kiddies. Ja ne.
Currently
listening
:
Demmamussabebonk
By
Snuff
Release date: 13 February, 1996
Site Remodel Complete
Current mood: chipper
Category: Web, HTML, Tech
I know I've been promising a site remodel for like 2 years (okay, 6 months maybe!) and it's finally complete!
http://www.toolfarm.com
So what have I done?
1. New design with a tranquil color scheme as well as vastly improved navigation.
2. The tutorials database is completely new. It's 10000% better. It's easier to navigate, searchable and much more descriptive. The tutorial pages have also been redesigned for better retention. We've also added several new tutorials to the bunch.
3. We're now hosting Red Giant's forums, which include Magic Bullet Suite, Editors and Colorista, Knoll Light Factory, and all of the other Red Giant plugins. It also includes the Trapcode plug-ins.
Check out the Toolfarm site for other forums, including Adobe applications such as After Effects, Premiere Pro and Photoshop, and Apple Final Cut Studio, including Final Cut Pro and Motion.
4. The Inspirations section is now broken into categories for easier reading. Harry Frank, of Gray Machine, has joined the Inspirations team to post the most interesting, creative and technical videos on the web.
5. Archives: Under our press release section, we now have an archive. Under our newsletters section, there is now an archive.
6. There are other little surprises here and there, so please check it out!
An official press release will be going out next week, but you don't need to wait to check out the site!
So, every year I make resolutions and most of the time I don't keep them. I did keep a big one in 2006 and that was to go to the gym three times a week or more and get in shape. I'm so glad I was able to do that. I think that's the first one I've ever kept! Haha. Here are my resolutions for '07.
1. Stop biting my nails. Nasty habit that I've had since the playpen. This is not a work related resolution, but I do it at work, too, so I guess it is. I have painted them with a hideous purple sparkley polish that belongs to my three year old to keep me from nibbling them.
2. Increase traffic by 2000 visits a day at Toolfarm.com by the end of 2007. Last year, traffic went up by 1500 visits per day, so it's not impossible.
3. Keep my office cleaner. I'm a big piler. I make piles. Junk mail, books, magazines, cards, notes. I always know where stuff is... until someone decides to move it. Then I go nuts trying to find it. There is organization in my chaos, but maybe no one would move my stuff if it looked more organized in the first place.
4. Back up my laptop weekly. I've got a pretty decent back up regiment that I've been doing since September or so. I plan to keep it up. I'm using backup.app that comes with a .mac account. So far, so good. It's easy and it reminds me.
5. Take life less seriously and have more fun. 'Nuff said. Luckily, I have a job that allows me to have fun while I work. I can play whatever weird music I want while I test cool plug-ins and make groovy animation presets and tutorials. It's not all play, but when you love your job, all day can be fun. No what I'm saying? No? Bummer.
6. Stop being so hard on computers, phones, etc. Haha. I seem to have bad luck with electronics. My power supply for my laptop has cracked and the electrical tape is no longer working for me. My cell phone... my brand new Razr... keeps shutting itself off. I haven't broken my iPod yet but I've dropped it a few times! I'm sure this has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I'm using my laptop 10 hours a day every day ;-)
7. Go to bed at a decent hour and not work so late. I spend a lot of time in front of this here laptop. We're very close, you know. We don't sleep together though ;-) I'd get to bed earlier if that Stephen Colbert guy wasn't so damn funny. I love that guy.
8. Get to the gym even more! I'm at a good three times a week now, but I would like to make it four times per week. I need to do more cardio. Lately I've been doing Body Flow, Body Pump and Yoga quite a bit. I enjoy them and it keeps my typing arm nimble and keeps me focused throughout the day, so again, it is work related.
9. Cut down on coffee. I was drinking 5-6 cups a day, sometimes more. I've been weaning myself down. I had no coffee on two days this past week. I love coffee and I do not want to give it up, but I do tend to use it as a crutch to stay alert and wake my sorry ass up in the morning.
10. Write more tutorials! After I get this redesign off the ground in the next couple of weeks, I want to focus on creating some brand-spankin' new tuts. Ideas are appreciated ;-)
11. Learn Japanese. My daughter is doing better than I am in this department. I have the resources, a native Japanese speaking spouse, but I just don't have the time or focus. I need to be immersed in the culture for a while I think. I was only in France for 2 days but I picked up quite a bit. Same with Italian. I was in Italy for about 10 days in total and did pretty well. Of course, they're both Romance languages and I did take 6 years of Spanish, so that helps, but I would like to learn the Japanese language. I don't want my husband and daughter having a secret language ;-)
12. See more movies! I saw maybe 6 movies in 2006 in the theatre. Click, that horror movie based on a video game that wasn't half bad, An American Haunting, Over the Hedge, some other horror movie, March of the Pengins and one or two unmemorable films. How sad is that.
So, how many of these can I keep in 2007? If I can keep two of the twelve, I'll be happy. #4 and #10 will probably be the easiest. So, go ahead, leave some comments. Got tutorial suggestions or resolutions I should make? Got your own resolutions? Share share share!
Rejuvenate Dried Up Markers
Current mood: sick
Category: Jobs, Work, Careers
Okay, not a tip for After Effects, but this one is really good! You all use markers in your office or school to make lists, diagrams or storyboards and I'm sure for multiple other purposes.
How many times have you thought you've capped your dry erase or felt tip markers? How many markers have your kids left the caps off and ruined? My daughter got some dry erase markers and an easel for Christmas and left the caps off last night. I Googled "Rejuvenate Dried Markers" and found a great tip. I always tried dipping in water and that has never worked too well.
This actually works. I'm sure that Mr. Wizard probably had this on his show... or in a Heloise column somewhere. Use a 2 foot length of string and some tape. Double up the string and tape the end of the string to the marker. You'll have a loop. Put your finger in the loop and swing the marker over your head for 20 seconds or so, like a helicopter propellar. The centrifugal force will draw the moisture to the tip of the marker. The markers were so moist, they were drippy!
Five Things you don't know about me
Current mood: sick
I saw this sort of post on another blog and I can totally beat it! This stuff really doesn't have anything to do with Toolfarm, but it might be fun for the end of the year.
1. I tried out for Jeopardy! in 2002. I didn't get on the show. I tried out in Chicago at the Drake and it was so crowded. Hundreds of people. I had to fill answers out on a piece of paper. If I recall, it was multiple choice. I should've studied Greek mythology a bit more. I didn't get too meet Alex Trebek either.
2. I almost drown on a white water rafting trip in West Virginia on the Gauley River. The river is loaded with class V+, so it's pretty hard core. It was a dam release so the water was super fast and it was late October, so it was cold. We were put in a test raft that didn't have any straps on the side. I had been rafting quite a few times, as had my boyfriend at the time. We were put in the raft with a guide and two morons who claimed that they'd rafted extensively. We found out that they lied and it was their first time. Of course, we didn't know that until we were a mile down the river.
Sweet Falls, a class V, 13 ft drop came up and I flew out of the raft and was sucked into the falls. It seemed like I was under for an eternity, but the guide yanked me into the raft with one arm.
I now have a fear of rafting. I did go rafting a few years later in Victoria, BC, but the worst was only a class III at best.
3. I went to dinner with a bank robber in Torquay, Devon. He paid for dinner on stolen funds. I want to say that I had no idea that he was a criminal. I thought he was just eccentric.
I was staying at a hostel in Torquay to view the eclipse in August 1999. The guys name is Clive and I met him at the hostel. He told me this story about how he had his wallet stolen and his friend was in the next town, who owed him money. His friend's girlfriend was just killed in a car wreck though. Clive had been living in a burned out ambulance before coming to the hostel. I took pity on him and I made spaghetti one night and shared it with him. I also bought him some chips at a chip shop.
So, he takes Jane's dog, named Dog (to help the foreign students learn English), out for a walk. Jane ran the hostel. Clive tells everyone he's going to the next town to get money from his friend. He's gone all day. That night, he has a bunch of new clothes and new shoes. He tells me he wants to take me to dinner at a Greek restaurant to repay my kindness. So we eat the worst Greek food I've ever had and then we leave to meet some other hostel friends at the pub where they have a buy one/get one free deal until 9pm. Clive disappears.
We found Clive the next morning in the basement of the hostel, passed out, missing one of his new shoes.
I left for Ireland that morning. When I got to Ireland, I got an email from Jane and another guy from the hostel telling me that the police would like to speak to me and that he took Jane's dog into two banks to rob them. She was mad that he made Dog an accessory to the crime. He put his finger in his shirt like a gun. The first bank told him to sod off. The second gave him the cash. He was arrested the day I left.
It turns out that he had recently gotten out of jail for bank robbery! Luckily he wasn't a dangerous criminal.
4. I met Scatman Crothers on a plane when I was 9. He's the guy who got the axe in the chest in The Shining. I had no idea who he was. My mom told me to go ask for an autograph.
5. For our honeymoon, we had a reception in Tokyo where my inlaws rented an ultra posh wedding hall and dressed in a fancy kimono with a heavy black wig, geisha-style makeup, little uncomfortable wooden sandals... the whole 9 yards (and about 9 yards of fabric tightly wrapped around me, making me completely cylindrical!) I'll have to scan a pic and put it up here. It was the most uncomfortable thing I've ever worn, but it was extremely beautiful and a wonderful memory. The food was incredible, too.
So, go ahead and share your top 5 things that I don't know about you.
Hey, Happy New Year. May 2007 be the most unique year yet!
I'm at NAB NY right now... well, at my accomodations, not at the show. I went for the opening party with a nice cocktail party spread and a plastic 'glass' of wine. Very nice. I met with the nice folks from Imagineer and they showed me the phenomenal Monet and Motor, which is still in beta. It blew my mind.
Tomorrow I'll be on the show floor with the NYC FCP User Group, so if you're around Javits Center, stop by and say hello. I plan to sit in on an advanced AE seminar tomorrow too, so hopefully I'll learn a gob.
I'm off to get some din-din. Ta-ta.
Michele
Currently
listening
:
Marie Antoinette
By
Original Soundtrack
Release date: 10 October, 2006
exhausted
creative
Amy Winehouse is the one act my sister and I were both dying to see. We were praying that she wouldn't cancel the show. You know the song 
geeky
Play Now
stressed
chipper
sleepy
sick
